"You really knocked him out?" Marie gasped, covering her mouth and watching my mate with wide amber eyes.
"I did!" Aslin giggled, nodding vigorously and taking another gulp of her ale, "Broke his nose too!"
"Wow," Marie breathed, glancing over at Henry before leaning closer and whispering loudly, "I bet we could knock out Henry."
"I bet I could make Az knock himself out," Aslin said, tossing back her head as she cackled, "But I can't make him stay!"
"He is leaving?" Marie squeaked, her black curls bouncing as she turned to look at Henry, "You hear that Henry?"
"I think everyone did," Henry replied, giving me a wary look. "Where are you going, Azrael?"
I glanced over at Theorn who gave me a nod of encouragement as I turned to face Aslin's brothers. Bryn's normally joyful face had drained of emotion and he was studying my face carefully.
"I'm going overseas with the prince for a year or two," I replied, rolling my shoulders back to get rid of the tension building inside me.
"Why did you claim our sister if you're just going to leave her a month later?" Henry asked, glaring at me suspiciously.
"Henry," Theorn said, his eyes serious but a playful smile spreading his lips, "Do you really want to know the answer to that question?"
Bryn and Henry both curled their lips in disgust, their eyes narrowing at me before looking to Theorn. His smile had spread wider and I silently thanked him for getting their attention off of me.
I doubted either of those males would enjoy hearing about how I almost lost control of myself the second I heard her voice. Or how I ended up chasing her up a tree and had been intent on knocking it down until she thankfully came down on her own.
"Does that mean she will be taking care of this place by herself?" Bryn frowned, watching as the drunk females curled up on the couch together.
"Theorn will be here to help her with anything she needs." I replied, grabbing my glass off of the table and sipping at the amber liquid.
"Maybe Theorn should have claimed her instead," Henry huffed.
"Watch your tongue," My friend replied before I could, his voice a low growl, "He may be leaving for a while, but that makes him no less worthy of her. Remember your place."
"Aslin is mine," I glared at Henry, watching as he fought against the instincts of his lycan to submit. "I will take care of her as best I can, and she will want for nothing while she is here."
Flexing his jaw, Henry looked away from me, "I can't imagine how hard it will be for you. I left Marie for a month to build a trading relationship with one of the more remote towns and I thought I was going to crawl out of my skin. We aren't meant to be apart from our bonded Azrael."
"It's getting late," Bryn commented, faking a yawn and stretching out his long limbs, "I'm going to get some rest before I have to see off our parents tomorrow. You should probably get her to bed, Henry."
Henry stood, picking up his mate carefully so as not to wake either of the females. Both of the brothers gave a curt goodbye before leaving my study. Once they left I was finally able to relax into my chair, slowly unknotting my muscles one by one. Sitting in silence with Theorn as we listened to the fire crackle and pop.
"Henry seems like a piece of work," Theorn said, breaking the comfortable silence.
"Not as bad as his father," I rolled my eyes, taking another sip of my drink and enjoying the pleasant burn, "You can't really fault either of them for being concerned about her. As annoying as it is to be questioned by them I think I like them more for it."
"How are you holding up?" Theorn asked, "I know you aren't really looking forward to leaving. Even before Aslin you didn't want to go."
"I did want to," I heaved a sigh, "Dran was right, I've gotten too attached to this place."
"Is that a bad thing?" His eyes bored into the side of my face, "You're allowed to have good things, Az."
"I thought it was a bad thing," I ignored his other comment and the frown that was etched into his face. "Now I'm not so sure."
"Isa keeps sending letters," Theorn said, changing the subject.
"That's nothing new," I rolled my eyes at that female's antics.
She cheated on me and yet still feels entitled to me. Her father was the one who had pushed for the engagement, only after he found out how close I was to Killian and who my father was. I had never liked the man, he had jumped at the chance to become duke as soon as he heard of my father's passing. Though his territory was not the entirety of my father's land, some had been taken back by the king.
"I also have a letter from the duke," Theorn said, glancing over at Aslin to make sure she still slept, "He wasn't happy to find out about your participation in the Garden."
"Oh?" I gritted my teeth together, that male was a fucking vulture, "Does he know I claimed Aslin?"
"Yes," Theorn clenched and unclenched his fists, clearly just as protective of Aslin as I was, "He said if you get rid of her before the ball he will convince Isa to forgive your actions the last time she visited you."
"Anything else?" I growled, pinching the bridge of my nose to try and defuse the ache building in my skull.
Theorn shrugged, "He basically kept repeating that you'll regret not claiming his daughter and..."
"And?" I asked, scowling at him.
"He said that your father would have wanted you to bond with a female like his daughter. Someone-"
I cut him off with a snarl, abruptly slamming my drink on the wooden table. Gritting my teeth together I walked over to Aslin, sitting down beside her and lifting her small body into my lap. Golden strands of hair fanned against my shirt and I buried my face into her hair.
"Az," Theorn called softly, "He is trying to guilt you into being with his daughter. He wants your bloodline and your connection to the king."
"I know," Even through my rage I managed to smile when Aslin's lips parted with a soft snore, "I couldn't leave her even if I wanted to."
"Did you...?" Theorn paused, a small smile creeping onto his face.
"It happened last night," I grinned, my heart swelling with love for the small female in my arms, a thin thread of gold appeared before slowly fading as if it had never been.
"Congratulations," Theorn smiled at me, his eyes flashing with an emotion I couldn't place before he started laughing, "Who would have thought that you of all people would be happily mated? I figured you'd have mate rot before you'd actually claim someone."
"I never thought I would be either," I muttered, staring down at my Aslin.
"You seem happy," Theorn commented, "It looks good on you."
"I am happy," Familiar guilt clawed at my gut and I took a deep breath, pushing down the useless feelings. "I just keep getting this feeling that it will all be taken away. That she will be taken away."
Theorn tensed, his brows drawing together as he leaned forward. "Azrael, what if you're right?"
"What do you mean?" I frowned, Theorn was supposed to be my voice of reason. "You think someone is going to take her away from me?"
"Are you sure your father killed everyone involved in your mother's murder?"
I tensed, the memories of my mother that I had taken so much time repressing beginning to surface. The night she died she was reading a book to me before bed. A male had climbed the castle walls and slit her throat before she could scream.
"What are you getting at Theorn?" I growled, swiping my thumb back and forth over the pulse point in Aslin's wrist.
"Azrael," He heaved a sigh, "When you first arrived here I decided to do some digging on your past. I found out about what happened to your parents. I know your father killed everyone of his males that had been paid off to let the assassin inside. I know he tracked down and slit the throats of every single one of them that tried to run."
"Get to the point," I huffed.
"He killed every single person including the assassin," Theorn lowered his voice, "But I never found any information on who ordered the hit."
"Theorn," I huffed, my hands stilling, "You're saying that the person that wanted my family dead is still out there?"
His frown deepened, "I'm saying it's possible."
My heart slammed against my ribcage painfully, "Why are you only telling me all of this now?"
I had thought that my father had taken care of everyone involved before he took his own life. He had walked right off the balcony, leaving a note that said his son would need to be placed in the palace's care. Old pains shot into my heart, the anger at my parents passing awoken by Theorn's words.
"Because of her," My old friend admitted, "I figured you wouldn't go off and be stupid now that you have a mate."
"Damn it," I growled, "You should have told me."
"And risk you leaving this goddess damned place?" Theorn leaned forward, glowering at me, "You gave us hope, stability, connections, protection from the northern clans."
"You all would have been fine," I huffed, lowering my voice when Aslin shifted in my lap, "I left for a few years and nothing terrible happened. Besides you guys don't need me, you need my connection to the palace."
"You can think whatever you like," Theorn rolled his eyes, unwilling to continue the argument we had had so many times before, "All I'm saying is that you should be careful when you take her to the palace."
"Theorn," I frowned, "A noble put a hit out on my family?"
"Who else would benefit from your father's death?" He replied, "I can't think of any others who would have wanted him dead. Think of all the nobles who are getting away with so much more now that Duke Chersan is in power."
My thoughts swirled, accompanying the churning in my stomach. All this time I had assumed that my parents death was the result of a small rebellion. It had to be, but what he said made sense. Except...
"Why was I left alive then? If it wasn't just a rebellion then why would they leave me alive? I can take back the dukedom at any point." My friend stroked his chin thoughtfully, the gears in his mind slowly turning.
"The duke was rather desperate to have you bond with his daughter," Theorn muttered, his eyes briefly meeting mine before looking away.
"He only started pressing for that after finding out I am close with Killian," I frowned, "Everyone at the castle knew I was the orphan of the past duke. He would have been trying to have me betrothed to her long before I had the power to say no. There are so many who might have wanted my family killed..."
Theorn stood, rubbing a hand over his tired face, "Try to get some sleep. I'll see you in the morning."
I nodded, standing with Aslin in my arms. Big baby blues blinked open and she frowned in confusion before her eyes focused on me. She smiled softly and nuzzled into my chest, closing her eyes happily. With one look all the worries that plagued me eased. All that matters right now is keeping the female in my arms safe, everything else comes second.
~~~
Footsteps sounded behind me and I paused, stilling the bag that was still swinging from the force of my fists. Turning I faced the curious face of the male I had confided in since I was fifteen.
"What are you doing here so early?" Dran asked, his breath a white cloud revealed by the few torches that lined the wall.
"I could ask the same of you." I replied, crossing my arms and facing down the older male, "Mela kick you out again?"
Dran shrugged, "Maybe."
I huffed rolling my eyes, "Stop making those comments about her sister and you could be sleeping in your own house."
"Stop changing the subject," Dran chuckled, stuffing his hands in his pockets, "Why are you out here and not with your female? Did you get kicked out?"
"I couldn't sleep," I admitted, turning back to the bag filled with sand that hung from a wooden post. "Theorn brought up my parents."
"Why would he do that?" Dran asked, his voice lowering slightly as he stepped closer, "Did something happen?"
"He thinks that a royal put out a hit on my family when I was younger," I growled, slamming my fist into the bag and wishing it was the face of whoever tore apart my family.
"I told him not to tell you that," Dran hissed.
"What?" I growled, turning around to face him, "You told him to keep quiet? Why?"
He let out a long sigh, rubbing a hand over his face, "You were just beginning to settle in here when he found out. Things were changing, you and Killian were finally making a difference. I didn't want him to ruin all the good you were doing by telling you."
"So you kept this from me for ten years!" I shouted, stepping closer to him as my lycan clawed to the surface, "You convinced him to keep this from me for ten years!"
"I needed you to be safe," Dran growled back, "You were the only thing keeping this place from falling apart. Monsters were crawling over the walls every week and finally with a leader we were able to protect our people."
"So you let my parents' killer go unpunished!" I clenched my fists, holding onto my self control with a slippery grip.
"Azrael," Dran growled, "By the time I got to know you and like you I decided I'd rather have you alive than dead. Tell me that three months ago you wouldn't have run off to the palace and started killing everyone like your father did."
"Damn it," I growled, tugging at my hair as I began to pace, "The two people I trusted most have been keeping this from me for ten years."
"You have to understand-"
"No," I growled, stepping into his space and glaring down at him, "I need some space. Theorn told me the truth, even if it took years for him to do it. You still want to keep me in the dark."
"Az," Dran sighed, rubbing at his forehead, "Please... let me make it up to you."
"Goodbye, Dran."
Alright the real conflict is finally coming. Buckle up buttercups!